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    #4099 10/28/07 08:41 PM
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    Jenafur Offline OP
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    In preschool the past 2 weeks I've noticed that DS3's drawings seems so behind all the other children. They all seem to be drawing shapes and drawing people and stuff, and my DS3 is still scribbling! I just wonder if there could be a problem. Does anyone have experience or knows what warning signs to look for? He does like to write the letter A (his name starts with A), and outside on the side walk one day he drew a recognizable lady bug, tree's, and some leaves. But that was only once. It could be he just isn't interested in drawing. I don't know, just been worrying. Thought I"d ask you all. : )

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    acs Offline
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    Hi Jenafur,
    I would probably ask his teacher what she thinks. My DS was never a big draw-er, didn't care much for crayons, pens, pencils, markers etc. And his pictures still aren't very good; although he could draw amazingly elaborate mazes from about 4 years old. Mazes are the only thing he ever *wanted* to draw.

    No one ever said he was behind; although his kindergarten teacher did spend time making sure he was up to speed on scissors. Anyway, I guess I'd reassure you that it probably is OK if it doesn't interest him yet, but I'd still have you check with his teacher

    acs #4113 10/29/07 10:17 AM
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    Hi Jenafur -
    I have no idea! Maybe ask his teacher or pediatrician, or check out those lovely books from the library Your Three-Year-Old: Friend or Enemy by Louise Bates Ames, which are fun to use to see what is considered normal.
    Best Wishes,
    Trinity


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    Just a thought...
    Friend's son, who absolutely HATED coloring and drawing ,turned out to be color blind.

    Ania #4142 10/30/07 01:48 PM
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    Hi. Just me chiming in as an OT again. Drawing ability is not really an indicator of motor skill development, although motor skills can certainly influence visual motor integration and subsequently drawing skills.

    Developmentally, in a typically developing child, I would expect a child to start drawing something that resembles a face with either arms and/or legs coming out of the face around the age of 3. By 4, most kids have learned to add a body to the head, with arms and legs coming out of the body. As they grow older, more details are added. Usually by 4 kids are able to draw at least something that resembles common objects or at least to NAME what they are drawing even if it doesn't actually resemble it (you know, when grandparents say "Oh, what a lovely picture you made! What is it, dear?!")

    But, as far as looking at visual motor integration, I would expect a three year old to be able to produce vertical and horizontal lines, circular shapes and to stay on the page while scribbling. More complex shapes like a cross, diagonal lines, "X" and a square aren't expected until the fourth year.

    Now, as far as GT kids, I personally think that there is a bit of anynchronous development that should be expected. I heard Sue Jackson talk about raising gifted kids and she referred to *at least* 24 planes of development that occur in human beings. All these different areas that are developing and changing simultaneously in us. How could every area possibly develop at the same rate? And what if one or two or three are really moving along at a fast pace? Doesn't it make sense that maybe the "energy" needed for that other area to develop isn't available right now?

    When my older kids were little the doctor told me not to worry about language skills as my little guy was already walking at 9 months. The way he explained it then was to say relax, all your son's energy resources are going into gross motor skills right now. Pretty soon that will be sort of "topped out" and he'll move his energy to talking. In the absence of any disorder, this makes sense.

    FWIW, my GT 6 y/o drew faces with arms until he was 5 years old. Freaked me out. I was SOOOOO worried about his development. But pretty soon he started drawing bodies and now is pretty much on target for a 6 year old. His drawing is NOT at the same level as his cognitive development. It's just average, which is fine. But he was reading at 3 y 11 months. So I guess his energy was going elsewhere!

    Hope that helps to calm your nerves. Oh, and you might also want to find out if he is youngest in the class or how much difference between him and the kids you are seeing. Just 6 months of age makes a big difference in skills like drawing at the age of 2-4.

    Here is an interesting site about the development of drawing skills in kids: http://www.learningdesign.com/Portfolio/DrawDev/kiddrawing.html

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    Jenafur Offline OP
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    Thank you for all your input. I feel better after reading all your posts. Thanks you Very much Debbie for your post!! The site was also very helpful. I do know the other kids are probably older than older than him, he just barley hit the cut off to be in the preschool, his birthday is in July. I think it is what Debbie said, his energy is definatly going into other things right now. He's always working on reading every where he goes he reads what he sees, also his vocabulary is always growing tons,I don't even know where he hears these words sometimes! Yesterday he said,
    "If I was fighting a dragon, I would be Courageous, and I wouldn't be afraid!"
    Also Very into science lately. I think he knows so much about things, like in depth of how his eyes, ears, and much body works, and even how the world works. I'd think understanding the body so much and then trying to draw something he can't even start to draw...as far as what his brain knows, could make him not even want to try (he's definatly a perfectionist).
    He's also doing an imagination overload lately. Always acting some story out, almost never himself always some character. Or making something else be. When he does sit to color... he doesn't really, the crayons become rocket ships, or he lines then up and they're a train, or a baton so he can conduct an orchestra, or the're a violen,or drum sticks,or people, or even balloons. So He finds ways to enjoy drawing, just doesn't enjoy doing it the way he's expected to.
    I watched his teacher testing him the other day and he did make a cross for her and the circle, horizontal, and vertical lines she asked him to. So If that's what they should be able to do he does do that so, yeah maybe he's okay. Sorry if my thoughts are all random, I kind of think out loud on here sometimes. Thanks Again Everyone!
    - Jenafur

    Last edited by Jenafur; 10/30/07 05:31 PM.
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    Thanks Debbie, I was hoping you'd jump in here! What a gift you are!

    Hi Jenafur - I used to "hate" dolls, but I would use my magic marker sets to "act out stories" even up to age 13. I remember that the Red and Blue were the Lead male and female superheros, Orange and Green were the jealous supporting adult superheros, Pink and Turquoise were the teen age superheros. I don't remember their powers, but I would use them as puppets to go on adventures.
    Smiles,
    Trinity


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    Our 7 year old hated drawing and writing. But give him some modelling clay and he turned out really fantaatic sculptures - which shocked his teacher as she blamed his poor handwriting on under-developed fine-motor skills. Perhaps your child just doesn't want to draw!

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    Just adding my experience...

    DD7 hated drawing when she was little. She wouldn't even color! It held no interest to her. When she started pre-K her drawings would come home with a single crayon mark through them. It was crazy to me. But it wasn't her thing. She also had horrible penmanship and we really struggled with it in 1st grade. She could think faster than she could write and didnt care how her penmanship looked, she just wanted to get the idea out. Now she's in 2nd grade and its like a light went on. Her "art" abilities have increased 10-fold and her penmanship is very neat (thanks to a great 2nd grade teacher!)

    I certainly would not consider it a sign of poor motor skills, rather it may just be he doesn't like to draw or write!

    GL with it!!

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    Jenafur Offline OP
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    I believe you're right. I'm quite sure now that he just doesn't want to. I've been struggling together him to write his name for months. Then when his pre-school teacher was here 2 weeks ago, he was supposed to be cutting, and decided to pick up a pencil and write his name on the paper. I could recognise every letter but one, I was amazed. Then he went on to write his younger brothers name! It was spelled write and everything! Not super clear but...just out of no where. Course he wont do it again now. but, lol. He's a stubborn little thing! He also cut out a square an a triangle the other day and did VERY well.
    It was nap time and I told him he could either take a nap or stay up if he cut out a square and triangle. Well, he did it, lol. He can also put together 25 piece puzzles by himself no problem, so i don't think there could be a motor skill problem. He just wants to do what he wants to do. (its so frustrating!)

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